First Sri Lankan scientist receives prestigious TWAS Award for Chemistry

Dr. Anushka Rajapaksha, from the Applied Science Faculty at the Sri Jayewardenepura University, was recently awarded the prestigious TWAS-Atta-urRahman Award in Chemistry for 2022, by The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in Italy.

The award was announced during the annual meeting held virtually at Zhejiang University (ZJU) at Hangzhou in China on November 21. This is the first time a Sri Lankan Scientist received the TWAS-Attaur-Rahman Award in Chemistry from TWAS.

The TWAS-tta-ur-Rahman Award in Chemistry, now sponsored by Searle Company Ltd, honours young scientists who are nationals of a scientifically and technologically lagging country for their contribution to the field of chemistry. The honour carries a cash award of US$ 5,000 and a certificate.

TWAS focuses on the advancement of science in developing countries and supports sustainable prosperity through research, education, policy and diplomacy. The Academy is based at Trieste in Italy and is a programme unit of UNESCO. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable development in developing countries.

Dr. Rajapaksha was received this honour for her contribution to the development of a novel engineered bio char as an innovative solution to environmental challenges—particularly the remediation of contaminated soils and water. Dr. Rajapaksha was also ranked among the Top 2% of the World’s Best Scientists in the 2020 and 2021 lists of outstanding researchers, prepared by Elsevier BV and Stanford University in USA.